Benjamin

I've been working on weaning Benjamin the last few days.


The plan was/is:  To nurse Benjamin right before bed, lay him down in Brienna room (on a little bed on the floor), and let him cry it out "locked" in her room.  He usually just climbs into my bed (his toddler bed is next to our bed) & then starts nursing in the middle of the night.  If I wanted him to not nurse, I would have to either not be at home, or be up "busy" doing a project.  So I decided the alternative was much "easier" for me (thanks Brienna!!!)


So....Thursday night was Night #1. Nursed right before bed.   He slept until 5:30 am.  Then he cried, and cried, and cried some more.  He tried to get out of her room & she finally had to sit in front of the door.  And then he cried some more.  And after 45 minutes of crying, he fell asleep again & slept for another couple of hours.


Night #2:  Brienna put a safety cover on the door knob so Ben can't open it.   He nursed for less than 10 minutes & fell asleep before 9:30.  And I woke up at 6 am wondering if I just hadn't heard Ben or if he was still asleep.  Listened for him and didn't hear him so went back to bed.  Ben got up about 8!  Yay--he slept through the night!


Night #3:  Ben figured out how to get the door knob cover off, so Brienna duct-taped it together.  Ben takes a very long & late nap (oh, no--are we in for a long night??).  Rusty & I go to Terreton for the adult Stake Conference meeting.  Get home & try to get everyone to bed at 9 (because it's day-light savings & so it's almost like 10).  Finally get Ben to bed around 11 (mid-night).  Ben wakes up after 8:30!  another night without waking up!  


Night #4:  (Tonight)--no nap for Ben (although I was able to get about a 30-40 minute night in) so he went to sleep about 9:30 (but would have been 8:30 last night--don't you just love day-light savings???).  We'll see how he does tonight!!


So I am down to just nursing right before bedtime.  Wednesday night I won't be here, so I hope everything will be fine.  This is a big step towards weaning him completely.  Maybe he'll be weaned before the first weekend in April--General conference weekend.  If he is weaned, I might go to Pamela's for conference & have a "girls weekend".  

Spring Break Plans

Monday:


Piano lesson, IF (music store, scout office, WinCo), Dentist      appointments for Brienna, Zane, Callum & Emmalee; get Brienna's back x-ray.  Family Home Evening


Tuesday:


Rexburg for Rusty & I.  Attend the temple, pick up Rusty's new lenses for his glasses, get Ethan the Microsoft Office 2010 CD to re-install in his computer (that is if I can find the CD)


Wednesday: 


Prepare the kids (threaten them with their lives) to be home without mom & dad, go on overnight date with Rusty!!!!!!!!!!!!!  


Thursday: 


Come home from overnight date (hopefully the house will be standing and sparkling clean, & the kids all alive & getting along like angels!).  Sort/dejunk/organize books.


Friday:  


IF for Brienna's back doctor appointment (the back specialist from Boise comes every few months), any shopping needed, more sorting/dejunking/organizing of books.  Pamela arrives for the weekend.


Saturday: 


Gather swim suits, towels, & goggles, pile in the vehicles, pick up friends, drive to Rexburg & pick up Ethan (& maybe Austin), drive to Green Canyon Hot Springs pool for a day of swimming!!   Drive back to Rexburg, pick up Little Caesar's pizza, drop off Ethan, drive back home.  

Skiing

Friday morning I got up & did the Wii Fit.  I was just about done when the kids started coming in the living room.  And they each wanted to pick something for me to do.

So I did a few more routines.  Then Callum asked me to do the bicycling on the island.  I had done the 2nd level on Thursday, but couldn't figure out how to get to 2  of the flags.  So between Zane & Callum, they finally got me to the last 2 flags (a total of 22).  But when I finally crossed the finish line, I had "biked" 5.333 mile!  I was tired.

But I decided we had better try cross-country skiing again.  The days are getting warmer & the snow is melting quickly.

So we bundled up (this time I put on my snow pants just because the snow is so wet & I fell a "few" times last week) & headed out to the land.

It had rained Thursday and the wind had blown, so the snow was either hard & slippery, or soft & I sunk 6 inches (or more).

The boys (Zane, Rusty & Zeb) all went ahead (since I am still a slow poke).

I think this picture was when Rusty fell down (or did a nice somersault) after skiing down one of our little "fort" hills.

Zane

Rusty & Zeb

Zane

And finally--(YAY!!) a picture of Rusty & I on our skies.  (and of course, Zeb)

After Zane took our picture, we headed back to the truck.  The boys decided to go the "hilly" way (so they could ski down hills, and I took the "easy" way--back towards the fence on more even ground.  I was doing just fine--skiing on some harder, crusty snow, when all of a sudden I skied into really soft snow.  So instead of going forward, my skies just stopped and sunk.  And down I went.

Thankfully Zane didn't have the camera!  I almost got up, but then one ski slid forward & I went on my back.  (alright family--you can stop laughing now!)  I couldn't quite get up (my left knee hasn't been bugging me, but it is weaker & I have a harder time even getting up from the floor using that knee).  

And I couldn't quite get my skies off because I couldn't put enough pressure on my boots and then push with my ski pole to release them.  I'm sure it was a funny sight.  Thankfully my wonderful husband came to my rescue & released one of my skies.  He then helped me up & I finished skiing to the fence.  I decided I was wiped out from all of my exercising of the morning, so I just climbed over the style & walked on the side of the highway the rest of the way back to the truck.

Zane said he enjoyed watching me "make snow angels for 3 minutes"  

I'm glad I could entertain him!